Absolution
by Silindro
Summary: AU. In order to stop Hell's insidious plot, Heaven sends Sakura down to Earth for a week to watch over Gaara's controversial soul. Things don't go quite as planned. Gaara x Sakura
1. The Unexpected Visitor

Note: People seem to make Gaara out to be an angry beast with no human emotion. I'll agree with the angry beast part since that's a literal description, but I'll disagree with their non-human interpretations. There are more emotions than 'lust' and 'pissed off', and I hope I represent him well in the chapters here.

My apologies if it comes off as out of character. This is my first Gaara attempt.

Special thanks to Erika for unintentionally beta-ing this story without knowing a single thing about the series.

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Absolution**

_Could it be that everything goes round by chance?  
__Or only one way that it was always meant to be?  
__"Kill", Jimmy Eat World_

**1. The Unexpected Visitor**

_Friday, December 14, 2012_

The lobby of Sunagakure Inc. was bustling with activity when its president walked through the glass, revolving doors. Dressed in his usual maroon, pinstriped business suit, Gaara looked every bit as intimidating as he knew he needed to be. He was a hardnosed businessman. Even on Friday mornings like the one he currently faced, he still needed to keep appearances.

The receptionist, Matsuri, greeted him with an overly bright smile as he stopped at her desk to deposit his brown-leather trench coat for hanging. His coffee and morning paper were waiting for him, just like every other day of the week. He picked up the cup and sipped at it idly as he flipped to the business section of the paper. And as the cheerful woman stood with her back to the room, he walked away without sparing a glace, thought, or word.

The peacefulness of his office before his usual barrage of morning meetings was something that helped him transition into his day. As he kicked the door shut behind him with his expensive Italian shoes, his eyes didn't leave his paper. Not that there was anything overly interesting to read, but there was nothing interesting about his office either. It had a desk, chairs, and a bookcase against the far wall. Ordinary.

Perhaps if he had paid the slightest bit of attention he would have noticed the young woman stretched out on his chaise lounge in the corner staring at the various titles of books and reports on the shelves. But he wasn't paying attention, which gave her the perfect chance to study the man that she had been waiting on.

Or at least so she thought.

Gaara unfolded his paper and held it directly in front of his face, completely blocking the view of him that she had hoped she would get. The only visible part of him was the backs of his fingers. It wasn't enough for her at all.

The frown on her face matched the determined steps she took across the room. Standing in front of his desk still didn't give her a visual advantage. She was not the tallest of people, and could only manage to see the tips of his messy hair. To remedy the situation, she climbed on top of the cherry wood and peaked over the newspaper curiously.

The business section became a distant thought in the background of his mind as Gaara noticed a set of brilliantly emerald eyes blinking at him. He had never been one to be startled, and right then was no exception. Thoughts of how anyone had gotten past reception entered his mind. Matsuri always notified him of appointments and announced the guests beforehand since it was her job. The girl's crimson tunic and matching metal-plated headband lead him on to believe that she was either lost or very, very confused.

He folded his newspaper down far enough to see that the girl was kneeling on all fours just above eye level in front of him. Nothing about any part of her position on his desk or in his office seemed to remotely worry her. She was perfectly comfortable with staring at him, which signaled warning bells in his mind. But he would not jump for security because she was not very threatening physically, and at the moment she appeared content to stare at him.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked in a dull, bored voice.

Her eyes widened and hopped backwards, landing in a defensive stance between his two guest chairs. The motion was very feline in nature, which was an odd thing. Not to mention that she hadn't made a mess of the pens and papers stacked on his desk when she had jumped. Even his coffee was left perfectly in its cup.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked timidly.

"There's no one else in here," he said with a frown.

"You can see me?"

The indentation in his brow deepened as he considered the woman's physical appearance. She didn't look crazy. Her clothing was neatly pressed right down to the white Capri pants she wore, her color was healthy, and the hair on her head appeared clean. He was curious about the bright pink shade, but his own red hair was very uncommon so he didn't mention it.

"Of course I can see you," he replied. "You're standing in my office."

She relaxed somewhat, taking a more thoughtful pose as she pondered over Gaara's words. Her eyes wandered over his sculpted face, taking in his appearance in a calculated manner. She raked her eyes over the 'love' kanji on his forehead, and the deep black outline of his eyes. Idly she noticed that his irises were not so differently colored than her own. He was very much like the picture she had been shown before she had blinked into his office.

"This isn't normal," she said with a frown. "They've never been able to see me before."

"They?" He was becoming more and more confused with each word that she spoke. And confusion was not an emotion that set well with him.

"The other people I've been sent to follow," she replied. "But you don't know anything about that."

It wasn't the first time he had been stalked, but the others had never been quite so forward with their intentions. His hand reached for the sleek, black phone on his desk. He quickly dialed a number and spoke quietly into the phone. The woman watched with interest, and smiled when he was finished with his one-sided conversation.

Moments later a large man in a green vest entered the office. He looked around quizzically before settling his eyes on Gaara.

"Sir?"

"Just get rid of her," he ordered, motioning towards the stalker.

"Err," the man stated. "There's no one here, Sir."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he growled, pushing back from his desk. He walked up to the pink-haired nuisance. "This girl right here!"

"I don't see anyone," he replied.

Gaara reached out to grab hold of her arm, but was shocked when his hand passed straight through as if she were nothing more than an apparition. She had a pleased look on her face.

"Just go, Baki," Gaara practically shouted. He was beginning to lose his temper.

"Should I call someone for you?"

"No."

As the door closed behind the security guard, Gaara wondered how long it would take for news of his hallucinations to spread throughout the company. Obviously their president going nuts would be big gossip. He could only imagine the stares and laughs that would follow him around.

"Don't look so angry," the woman said with a laugh. "You're special."

"I don't have time for these mind games," he spat.

"Well that's one thing we can both agree on," she nodded. "You're short on time."

He looked down at her with an emotion that she could only describe as loathing. She had made him look like a fool, and for that he was deeply angered. The hatred reflected in his eyes, burning in its intensity. His patience with the morning's happenings was over and he was waiting on an explanation. She knew it without him having to say a word.

"Maybe you'd better sit down for this," she said, motioning to his chair.

He stood still.

"Or not," she mumbled, casually strolling over to sit on the edge of the desk. Her feet dangled off of the floor, but the sandals that she had been wearing fell soundlessly to the wood floor. "Would you like the full story or the abridged version?"

"Make this quick."

She shrugged her indifference at the situation and then blurted out unceremoniously, "You're going to die."

"Who are you really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, and I've been assigned to your case."

"My case?"

She nodded in affirmation, humming a cheerful 'mhmm' at his words. She'd not been taught anything about dealing with live ones that could actually see her before. She wasn't entirely sure how to proceed with the odd situation at hand. He seemed at least mildly curious after her proclamation.

"Well everyone dies," she said. "But there's something about you that warrants a soul guardian. I'm here to follow you around until it happens and then take you back."

"_It_," he said.

"Your death."

"You're leaving," he said, opening the door. Much to his surprise Matsuri was on the other side with a curious look on her face.

"Baki mentioned that you looked tired," she explained. "I brought you some fruit in case you were hungry."

He stared blankly at her. From his desk Sakura waved at the girl, but being the spirit that she was, Matsuri could not see her. It was more for show anyway. She knew that Gaara could see her reflection in the large, framed picture next to the door.

"Is everything all right?"

"Cancel my nine fifteen," he ordered. "I'm going to lie down."

"Oh, okay," she nodded. She passed over the plate of orange slices and the made her way back down the hall.

Gaara sighed heavily in frustration. There was far too much going on for a Friday morning, and he knew that he should have followed his instincts and stayed in bed for a three day weekend. Now he had an office full of nosy employees and a 'soul guardian' that was intent on being as cheerful as she could in any given situation. It was all deeply disturbing.

"Are you from Hell?" he asked as he plopped back into his chair.

"Quite the opposite," Sakura answered, swirling around to face him. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her knees. "God sent me."

"God."

She nodded.

"And what does God care about me?"

"God cares about everyone," she frowned. "There's something special about you, though, and it's not a good idea to let you go wandering around after your soul has left your body. The other side might come after you."

"And what have I done in my lifetime that warrants a ticket to Heaven?"

"It's not my job to decide these things," she said. "I'm just here to make the transition with you."

"Hn."

"You don't seem worried about the whole death thing," she said curiously.

He didn't reply to that. He only stared at her with his intense glare. It was becoming increasingly clear that the curiosity that had been there minutes before was completely gone. In its place was a negative emotion that wasn't quite anger and wasn't quite sadness. She couldn't place it. But something told her that maybe he needed some time alone to digest the information she had given him. He wasn't dead yet, so she could afford to give him some time.

"I won't be far," she said after a long silence. She faded out seconds later, leaving Gaara alone in his office for the first time that day.

--

Next chapter: Muffins and meetings…

Note: Most of this story is finished and waiting to be posted since I'm paranoid about never finishing things I start. So no worries about that! Still reworking a few things on the unposted stuff, so that's why I'm holding out. Clicky that little button on the bottom left and let me know what you think!

_**Silent readers go to fanfiction Hell! Review!**_


	2. Let's Do Lunch

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Absolution**

_Cultivate your hunger before you idealize  
__Motivate your anger to make them all realize  
__"Wind", Akeboshi_

**2. Let's Do Lunch**

_Friday, December 14, 2012_

When Sakura had said that she wouldn't be far, nothing had prepared Gaara for the sight of her lying in the middle of his conference room table several hours later. She was stretched out on her back with one leg crossed casually over the other, humming off-key to herself. Although her eyes were closed, he was pretty sure that she knew he had entered the room.

Of course he was still irritated from that morning when she had come barging into his life and caused infinitely more chaos than he had ever wanted or needed in a hundred lifetimes. His face did not betray the aggravation of seeing her again, however. That was mostly because the conference room was full of his business partners waiting for his quarterly update. They had no idea who, what, or where Sakura was.

"Let's begin," he said as he spread the papers in his briefcase out on the table.

The second the actual meeting started Sakura tuned herself out. Talk of stocks and profit and the material things of the Earth realm didn't interest her that much. And besides, no one said she was required to actually pay attention to him. She only had to look out for his soul. Unless he was destined for a heart attack, the only thing she was sure he could die of in that room was boredom.

The thought made her giggle out loud, which was a bad idea given the death glare that Gaara shot in her direction. That made her realize that for the other nine people in the room he had just glared at Matsuri's prepared muffin tray. She was unable to hold in her laughter.

"Stop it," he growled out harshly through clenched teeth.

The man closest to him at the front of the table had been buttering a muffin, but he put the knife down quickly. The other men looked on curiously but made no comments.

Sakura grinned playfully at him and faded from view.

For the next hour Gaara conducted his meeting in peace, without the girl around to bother him. Of course he knew that she was capable of concealing herself, but as long as she wasn't making noise he didn't care.

"…which leads me to look back on..."

"How long do these things usually last?"

"…and second quarter profits were below forecasted numbers…"

"I don't see how you can possibly enjoy this."

"…fourth quarter earnings as long as…"

"It's well after one and you still haven't had anything for lunch."

"…sales are up overall despite the current state of the…"

"You know, if I-"

"Shut up!" he snapped, looking wildly around the room. "Stop talking!"

The concerned looks of his colleagues made him feel slightly foolish. He put his hand to his head and massaged his temple in a futile attempt to stop the twitching that had begun with his shouting. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to stall his temper.

"Meeting adjourned," he said softly.

"Sir?"

"I said _meeting adjourned_!" he shouted, slamming his hand down on the table. The room's occupants quickly cleared out.

"Well someone's upset," she said from some unknown place. Her voice seemed to be everywhere.

"Show yourself," he growled. "Right now."

She materialized in one of the vacated chairs with her feet propped up comfortably. His temper didn't seem to affect her like it affected most everyone else, which was something that he found quite unnerving, much like everything about her. Her very existence was unnerving.

"Is it on your personal agenda to ruin my day?"

"Well I would have thought the whole 'one week left to live' thing would have already done that. You don't seem too worried about it."

He blinked back at her but said nothing.

"Why don't you have a muffin?" she asked as she motioned toward the table. "It might make you feel better."

"I feel fine."

"It might make you feel less angry then."

For a moment it looked as if he would take her up on the offer, but something (his pride, she supposed) made him turn and walk out the door. She followed quickly and silently behind him as he made his way towards his office. Instead of stopping there he kept walking until he reached the lobby and then the front doors.

"Snow!" she exclaimed, running directly through him to dance around in the white flakes. Although they fell through her, she didn't seem discouraged.

"Don't do that," he complained as he pulled his suit jacket tighter around his chest. He had not bothered to grab his coat.

"Don't do what?"

"Run through me like that."

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "I'm just not used to my cases being able to interact with me."

He began to walk across the busy plaza intently with his eyes set firmly forward. The usual scowl that graced his face was back in full force. Anyone that dared look his direction was regarded with an icy glare not unlike the one he had given Sakura during the meeting.

Naturally the pink-haired girl followed after him. Out in the world there were thousands of things that could bring him to a quick end. She watched carefully as they crossed a busy street at the crosswalk, just barely missing a taxi that slid a few extra feet on the ice. She was sure to give Gaara a smug 'I told you so' look just before they entered their destination: the deli.

Because of the meeting before, Gaara had completely missed the lunch rush. This allowed him to quickly place his order without a wait. When he finally sat down in the booth by the window he was significantly less angry than minutes before. She smiled at this before turning her attention to the people walking around outside.

"They're lucky," she said.

"Who?"

"All the people out there, living their lives. They aren't like you or me."

"There is nothing about us that is similar."

"Well, you're _going_ to be dead," she said, turning to look at him, "and I've been that way for a long time."

He seemed surprised at this and asked, "You were human once?"

She nodded and explained, "I died about five hundred years ago, but my selflessness got me in good favor with the big man upstairs."

"What happened?"

"Well, a feudal lord named Sasori went crazy at the news of his parents' death and began attacking the people in his castle. He was about to stab his grandmother, but I stepped in and took the blade instead."

"Why?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I'd say it worked in my favor."

Gaara sat quietly after that, unsure of what to say. She obviously wasn't full of regret about her past life, so there was no reason to mention it. He hadn't figured out why she was so sad about everyone else in the world, though. Human life was uncertain and fleeting. She was eternally young and beautiful. What was there to be sad about?

He pondered over this oddity until the last of his sandwich was gone, which wasn't very long since it wasn't a large sandwich to begin with. She followed after him when he walked back out the door and into the cold. The snow that had been coming down in smallish flakes was now beginning to coat the ground, and caught in his hair as he walked briskly back to the office.

"Why didn't you grab your coat before you left?" she asked.

"I was in a hurry."

"Being in a hurry is no excuse," she frowned. "You could catch a cold with that kind of mindset in this weather."

He barked out a laugh of complete disbelief. "Listen to yourself talk. As if catching a cold is such a bad thing right now. For all you know that cold might be the thing that kills me."

"Oh, well I suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do."

The heat of the lobby was a godsend as he brushed off the snow that had accumulated in the two minutes it had taken to walk back from the deli. His feet made squeaking noises against the tile as he headed back toward his office, passing Matsuri on the way. She looked at him curiously, as if trying to figure out why he was covered in snow. Or maybe she was trying to figure out the reason behind his outburst in the conference room. Surely the rumors had already begun to circulate through the office.

To accentuate the fact that he did not want company, he slammed the door behind him. He was sure the loud bang could be heard down the hall, so maybe Matsuri would get the idea that he wasn't in the mood for appointments. Being in tune with his ever-changing mood was part of her job description. He had hired her because she seemed the type that wouldn't ask questions.

"Your cheeks are pink," Sakura grinned as she stepped through the door.

"Go away."

"You know I can't do that," she shook her head.

"If I promise not to attempt anything suicidal for the rest of the afternoon, will you do your disappearing trick?" he asked as he settled into his chair. A large stack of papers that needed to be read and signed was waiting on him.

"Well, as long as you promise. But I'll still be watching."

He looked up just in time to see her fade away. The first time had been odd, but now he was accustomed to seeing her disappear. Ghost, angel, spirit… whatever she was, she had more than worn out her welcome for the day. He was sure he had made that very clear. And when five o'clock rolled around he would be out the door and away from her.

Then it occurred to him that she was not an obnoxious employee that he could just leave at the office. She had followed him to the deli, which gave him no reason to suspect she wouldn't follow him home.

"Sakura," he called out.

There was no reply, which was odd because she had said that she would still be around.

"Answer me," he commanded.

"What?" her disembodied voice responded.

"You're going to follow me home, aren't you?"

"Of course I am."

He frowned deeply at this and went back to his work, scribbling furiously on papers for the rest of the afternoon. Sakura remained invisible as he had asked, but retained her seat on the corner of his desk, watching him with interest for the rest of the afternoon.

--

Next chapter: An alcoholic exorcist and an odd inquiry…

Note: Questions, concerns? Hoping to pop the rest of this out in a timely manner, but as I always say, "Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow..." Leave me some love and we'll see what happens.

**_The firey pits of Fanfiction HELL await all you evil silent readers. Review!_**


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